OINP PhD Graduate stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) PhD Graduate stream requires applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) website. This Expression of Interest (EOI) will be used to assign applicants a score, which the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) uses to select applicants. Try our free OINP Points Calculator to see what you would score!

If an applicant is selected by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) based on their Expression of Interest (EOI), they will be given 14 calendar days to submit their full application to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). If that application is then approved, they will receive a provincial nomination. After receiving a provincial nomination, applicants can then apply to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. The PhD Graduate stream does not require an Express Entry profile. This means that applicants who receive a provincial nomination under this stream will not submit their application for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

For the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) PhD Graduate stream, the applicant must meet the following educational requirements:

• completed a PhD degree that
  • is from an eligible university in Ontario
  • at least two years of PhD studies must have been completed while legally living and studying in Ontario

Applicants may not be eligibe if any of the following apply:

• they received a bursary, grant or scholarship that required them return to their home country after they earned their masters degree, unless they have fulfilled those commitments and can demonstrate an intention to live in Ontario

For the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program PhD Graduate stream, the main applicant needs to meet all the following criteria:

• must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years before the date of application (can be cumulative)
• you must submit your application within two years of completing the requirements necessary to obtain your PhD degree
• the date on your PhD degree must be within two years of your OINP application submission date, not the date you received the invitation to apply
• the intention to live in Ontario
• legal status in Canada, if applying from within Canada
• have a minimum amount of settlement funds required for their family size (main applicant, their spouse or common-law partner, and any dependent children of the main applicant or their spouse/common-law partner twho are under the age of 22)
  • The settlement funds requirements are as follows:

You can meet this requirement through one or a combination of any of the following:

• funds as demonstrated by the balance listed in bank statements, or statements of accounts showing other investments such as non-locked in, fixed term deposits, mutual funds, etc.
• annual earnings from ongoing employment in Ontario
• a job offer in Ontario

Example: Based on your family size, you must have $38,875 (CAD). You have a job offer in Ontario with an annual wage of $35,000 and you have a balance of $5,000 in your savings account for a total of $40,000. By using a combination of your job offer and bank statement, you would meet the settlement fund requirement.

If the reviewing officer notices that your bank statements show a large one-time deposit, they may ask you to provide additional documentation to support that your funds are free of debt or liability.